Today I went down to the neighorhood den of DDR, the campus center arcade. It is pretty much used for nothing but DDR, and you can get a game for about 50 cents or less. I was just getting ready to play when I was joined by a guy who looked like he wanted to join. I asked him to play with me and WOW. He was the best DDR player I have ever met. He has a strange technique where he holds on to the bar behind him and thus mostly takes his weight off the pad, which allows him to complete rapid combinations without worrying about weight transfer, which is one of the most difficult parts of the game. Some people may say that this technique is tantamount to cheating, but he is so good at it he still ranks as the best DDR player I have ever seen in all my life.

So we played and I played on Standard and he played on Heavy, and he consistently scored double AAs while I scored anything from A to E. This meant that we got an extra game every time. It was a bizarre experience, since usually I am the one rocking the complicated moves while the person next to me is on beginner. I felt like I was standing still doing some of the most complicated standard routines. Just the sound of his footfalls was music in itself, like irish step-dancing.

He was half Japanese, of course, and he studied physics... with his mom... since she was a professor at Brown and he was a senior in high school who had just been accepted to Brown for next year. They just get younger and younger, don't they? Due to an unfortunate spirit of creativity in his parents, his name was Kyle, only with an extra 'e' making it "Kylee" (KILE-ey). Thus he is doomed to have to repeat his name several times everytime anyone asks for it. Kylee passed the hardest song in DDR on extra challege mode, with reverse arrow direction (the arrows come from the top and go towards the bottom).

Noah and Joe from the office happened by and they watched him do this while I tried to get as many of the arrows as I could on my side (I decided to concentrate on just the two outside arrows... still impossible). I think they left satisfied because they felt like they'd discovered something secret about me: that I played DDR with random high school students in the basement of the student center after work. Well, they did, really... perhaps that makes Joe and I even since I walked in on him when he was playing D&D with the nerdiest group of people I've ever seen a couple months ago. Now we discuss his campaign ideas together, since he's almost always the DM. It keeps a little bit of the little sis' close to my heart when we talk about such things.

After a while Kylee left, he was exhausted (who wouldn't be?) and I played my last tokens out. Suddenly I heard a voice behind me. "I think that one was too easy for you," she said. Adamantine, as I later discovered. Good geology name. "The one before that was too easy, too." I explained that it has been forever since I'd played so I was taking it slow. Another girl was there, too. "Play a harder one. You should play with us, then you could play harder ones." The "you never get to be a better skier unless you ski with better skiers" axiom. Their friends showed up, two guys, one probably full asian, Dan. I finally took my leave of them after watching them play. They are also leagues better than I. They aren't as good as Kylee, but they don't use the rail, either.

Thus I must mark today. The day I found the Brown University DDR underground.

I've always wondered why people use the rail, and now that I know... You know, I don't think it's really cheating. After all, it IS there for some reason. What else is it supposed to do? Keep away interested observers?
» randomjunk on 2007-04-09 09:40:29

I wish I were that good!
I can never do Standard... x_x
» Mockiller on 2007-04-09 09:53:25

I want to be better than Dave... he uses his knees. We spent 50 dollars on two pads, but we keep putting off mailing the broken one back. :/
» ikimashokie on 2007-04-09 10:22:32

WHY DON'T YOU JUST MARRY THIS KYLEE GUY

I may not have feet as fast as lightning, but..

Well..
K, I got nuffin'.
» Dilated on 2007-04-10 12:34:00

Oh, come on. Age didn't stop you with the last guy you married
» Dilated on 2007-04-10 10:51:50

AND I AM NOT BEING EMO! I'M BEING JONMO! GET IT STRAIGHT.

You're just mad 'cause you can't touch this.
» Dilated on 2007-04-10 10:52:30

psh, I"M mad cause I can't touch that. lol j/k.

My brother used to be hardcore into DDR. I miss hearing his footfalls at 2 in the morning...ok, maybe I don't. lol. However, I know of what you speak and that kid must have been all shades of crazy.

RE:COMMENT
Sound advice my golf cart beverage toting Zanzibar. Sound advice.
» Helena on 2007-04-10 07:59:30

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